“ The volume of tobacco sold through the tobacconist network has decreased by 8.21 TP3T compared to 2024" , the OFDT indicates in its annual report on the subject. Border departments, however, are less affected by this decline than in previous years. Belgium and Luxembourg, in particular, have implemented significant tax increases, which has reduced the tax advantage that attracted French smokers. This " demonstrates the usefulness of public policies implemented at European level " do to remark the OFDT in its press release.
Total sales in mainland France through this retail network amount to 30,165 tonnes in 2025, compared to 32,846 tonnes the previous year. Despite the decrease in volume, overall tobacco revenue is projected to reach €18.4 billion in 2025, a level that has remained virtually stable since 2017, with an average annual growth of 0.21 metric tons.
While sales of cigarettes and rolling tobacco are down in 2025 compared to the previous year (respectively -8.7 % and -9.6 %), those of hookahs, pipe tobacco, blunts or other kinds of smoking tobacco are up by 5.8%.
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A France with fewer smokers
Another finding from the OFDT: France is smoking less. Fewer than one in five adults aged 18 to 75 reported smoking daily in 2024, i.e. the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000"This trend is also found among young people," the OFDT emphasizes in its report. While in 2010, 30.81% of high school students smoked every day, the proportion was falling to 5.6% in 2024. Compared to its European neighbors, France is now among the countries with the most low levels of experimentation at age 16 highlights the balance sheet. On the other hand, the daily use of vaping among high school students continues to increase.
“ France is now among the dozen or so countries, mainly Nordic, where the daily smoking rate is below 5%"This is accompanied by an increase in sales of nicotine replacement treatments in pharmacies (+7% in 2025 compared to 2024).
Tobacco sales volumes fall into three categories: legal sales at tobacconists, legal sales abroad or in duty-free shops, and illegal sales. Only the first category is regularly monitored through customs declarations of deliveries to retailers in mainland France, notes the OFDT (French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction).
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France remains a preferred destination for contraband tobacco, both as a final consumer market and as a transit country to Ireland and the United Kingdom, according to customs officials who noted a 24.5% increase in the volume of cigarettes seized in 2025, and a total of 547.94 tonnes of tobacco intercepted (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, hookah, cigars, etc.).
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